Inflation apparatus for balloons and other inflatable objects



Feb. 13, 1968 D. LA PLANTE ETAL INFLATION APPARATUS FOR BALLOONS AND OTHER INFLATABLE OBJECTS Filed Feb. 5, 1965 INVENTORS DUANE LA PLANTE DAVID HINTZEN BY 7lndrus Star/(g Afmnuevs United States Patent 3,368,742 INFLATION APPARATUS FOR BALLOONS AND OTHER INFLATABLE OBJECTS Duane La Plante, Neenah, Wis., and David Hintzen, Weston, Ontario, Canada, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to James H. Cabanski, Appleton, Wis.

Filed Feb. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 430,519 3 Claims. (Cl. 230-17) This invention relates to apparatus for inflating balloons and other inflatable objects.

Even with considerable experience proper inflation for a balloon or the like is difficult to judge and breakage due to overinflation is not uncommon. When a novice is set to the task of judging proper inflation, the loss due to breakage may be considerable. It is generally an object of this invention to provide apparatus for inflating balloons which is capable of providing for inflation to proper size even when operated by most novices.

According to the invention, the inflation apparatus includes a plenum chamber and a source of inflation medium communicating with the plenum chamber. A nozzle is placed in communication with the plenum chamber and is adapted to receive the inflation neck of a balloon or other inflatable object. Blower means are provided to force the inflation medium from the source through the plenum chamber and nozzle to effect inflation. Means are provided for driving the blowers means. And timing means are associated with the drive means to control the running time of the drive means and thereby provide for inflation of the balloon or other inflatable object to proper design size.

The drawings furnished herewith illustrate the best mode for carrying out the invention as presently contemplated and set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an inflation apparatus embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the inflation apparatus of FIG. 1 and shows certain structural details;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 illustrates electrical circuitry for controlling the blower motor.

Referring to the drawings, the balloon inflation apparatus of this invention includes a casing enclosure 1 provided with support means 2 at its longitudinal extremities. The casing enclosure 1 generally defines -a pair of adjacent housing portions 3 and 4 which are separated by the intermediate wall 5.

The housing portion 3 may be generally cylindrical as shown in the drawings and is partitioned by the wall 6 to form an inlet chamber 7 for air or other inflation medium at the end of the casing enclosure and a plenum chamber 8 inwardly therefrom. The wall 6 is provided with an opening 9 centrally thereof placing the inlet chamher 7 in communication with the plenum chamber 8. When the inflation medium is air, it enters the inlet chamber 7 through a plurality of inlet ports 10 in the wall of housing portion 3 from the surrounding atmosphere.

The air is drawn from the inlet chamber 7 through the opening 9 by the centrifugal blower 11 disposed in the plenum chamber 8 adjacent to the partition wall 6. The blower 11 is carried on shaft 12 of the electric motor 13 disposed in the plenum chamber. A suitable frame 14 fixedly secured to the wall of housing portion 3 supports the motor 13 and blower 11 with the axis of motor shaft 12 disposed generally coaxially of the chamber. The air moving from the blower 11 through the plenum chamber 8 serves to effectively cool the motor 13 as it is conducted 3,368,742 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 around and through the motor through the opening 15 in the inner end wall 16 of the motor frame 14.

Inwardly from the motor frame 1'4- the wall of housing portion 3 is provided with a suitable fitting 17 which is adapted to threadably receive an inflation nozzle 18. The outer end 19 of the nozzle is tapered and is provided with a plurality of spaced circumferential ridges 20. The tapered end 19 of nozzle 18 is adapted to receive the neck openings of balloons 21 or other objects for inflation having neck openings of varying size. In service the balloon neck opening is stretched over the tapered end '19 of the nozzle with the beaded edge 22 at the balloon opening seating in the corresponding groove formed between adjacent ridges 20.

The nozzle passage 23 is interrupted by a valve chamber 24 containing a ball check valve. In a nozzle 18 which is disposed generally vertically as shown in the drawings, the ball 25 is seated by gravity to close passage 23 when the blower 11 is inoperative. When the blower 11 is made operative and the pressure in the plenum chamber 8 is able to overcome the weight of the ball 25, the ball is lifted from its seat to provide for passage of the inflation medium from the plenum chamber to the balloon. The cross-pin 26 extending through the valve chamber 24 checks upward movement of ball 25 and thereby assures the one-way character of the check valve. After inflation of the balloon 2-1 is completed and the blower 11 stops, the ball 25 resea-ts itself and thereby prevents deflation of the inflated balloon. Thereafter the inflated balloon 21 may be tied immediately above the nozzle 18 and prior to its removal from the nozzle so that air is not likely to escape and the balloon will remain at the proper design size. After the tying operation, the inflated balloon may be removed from the nozzle 18 and replaced by another for inflation.

The housing portion 4 of the casing enclosure 1 houses a motorized timer unit 27 which is supported beneath the generally flat closure plate 28 and is adapted to control the operation of the blower motor 13. The output leads from the timer unit 2'7 are connected to suitable electrical fittings 29 which are supported in the intermediate wall 5 of the casing enclosure 1 and are in turn connected by suitable leads to the blower motor 13. The electrical cord 30 which is adapted to be plugged into a conventional volt AC. outlet extends through an appropriate litting 31 in the end wall of housing portion 4 and encloses suit-able input leads to the timer unit 27.

The timer unit 27 includes the timing motor 32 which may be disposed in parallel circuit with the blower motor 13 and in series circuit with the starting switch 33 as generally shown in FIG. 4. The starting switch 33 is operable by the switch button 34 which extends upwardly through the closure plate 28 and is depressible, and upon release effects momentary closure of the starting switch to energize the timing motor 32. The timing motor 32 drives a suitable adjustable mechanical coupling means 35 which upon initial actuation provides for closure of the lock-in switch 36 disposed in parallel circuit with the starting switch 33. Simultaneously with closure of lock-in switch 36, the coupling means 35 effects closure of the motor control switch 37 in series circuit with the blower motor 13 to energize the latter and drive the blower 11 for inflation. At the end of the timing cycle, the coupling means 35 provides for simultaneous opening of the lock-in switch 36 and motor control switch 37 to stop the respective motors 32 and 13 and terminates the operation of 38 surrounding the starting switch button 34. The knob 38 is marked with a plurality of graduations 39 and is selectively movable relative to an index location 40 to set the timing cycle. The length of the timing cycle is selected to correspond generally to the size of the balloon 21 to be inflated.

After the timing cycle is set in accordance with the size of the balloon 21 or other object to be inflated as prescribed by an appropriate table 41 provided on the casing enclosure 1, proper inflation to the design size is automatic. Thus, guesswork for proper inflation and breakage of balloons due to overinflation are eliminated. The operation of the inflation apparatus is so simple that it can be entrusted to most any novice with excellent results assured.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being'wit'hin the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

We claim:

1. In an inflation apparatus for a balloon or the like, a housing having a plenum chamber, a source of inflation medium communicating with the plenum chamber, a nozzle attached to the housing and communicating with the plenum chamber and adapted to receive the neck of a balloon to be inflated, check valve means in said nozzle to prevent deflation of a balloon after the same has been inflated, blower means disposed in the plenum chamber and adapted to force the inflation medium from said source through the plenum chamber and nozzle to inflate a balloon, an electric motor disposed in the plenum chamber and driving said blower means with the inflation medium moving past the motor and cooling same, and timing means connected to the motor and adapted to control the running time of the motor and effect motor shutoff thereafter to thereby provide for inflation of a balloon to proper design size.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the timing means is adjustable to vary the running time of the motor in accordance with the size of the balloon to be inflated.

3. In an inflation apparatus for a balloon or the like, a housing having a plenum chamber and an inlet chamber communicating with the plenum chamber, said housing having orifice means placing the inlet chamber in communication with the surrounding atmosphere, at nozzle on said housing and communicating with the plenum chamber, said nozzle being adapted to receive the neck of a balloon to be inflated, check valve means in said nozzle to prevent deflation of a balloon after the same has been inflated, a blower disposed in the plenum chamber and adapted to draw air for inflation from the inlet chamber and force said air through the plenum chamber and nozzle to inflate a balloon, an electric mot-or disposed in the plenum chamber to drive the blower with said motor being cooled by the air for inflation moving through the plenum chamber, and timing means connected to the motor and adapted to control the running time of the motor driven blower and effect motor shut-off thereafter to thereby provide for inflation of a balloon to proper design size, said timing means being adjustable to vary the running time of the motor driven blower in accordance With the size of the balloon to be inflated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,749,373 3/1930 Breuer 230117 2,139,112 12/1938 Catranis 230-130 2,351,828 6/1944 Marsh 10325 2,415,019 1/1947 McMahan 14138 2,422,860 6/ 1947* Seyfried 2301 17 2,525,256 10/1950 Byram 14138 2,652,481 9/1953 Rupp 14138 2,761,601 9/1956 Van Vooren 22270 2,769,574 ll/ 1956 Algiers et a1. 22270 2,846,200 8/1958 Jamison 103-25 3,191,801 6/1965 Standish 2223 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL LEVINE, MARK NEWMAN, Examiners.

W. L. FREEH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN INFLATION APPARATUS FOR A BALLOON OR THE LIKE, A HOUSING HAVING A PLENUM CHAMBER, A SOURCE OF INFLATION MEDIUM COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLENUM CHAMBER, A NOZZLE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE NECK OF A BALLOON TO BE INFLATED, CHECK VALVE MEANS IN SAID NOZZLE TO PREVENT DEFLATION OF A BALLOON AFTER THE SAME HAS BEEN INFLATED, BLOWER MEANS DISPOSED IN THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO FORCE THE INFLATION MEDIUM FROM SAID SOURCE THROUGH THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND NOZZLE TO INFLATE A BALLOON, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DISPOSED IN THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND DRIVING SAID BLOWER MEANS WITH THE INFLATION MEDIUM MOVING PAST THE MOTOR AND COOLING SAME, AND TIMING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE MOTOR AND ADAPTED TO CONTROL THE RUNNING TIME OF THE MOTOR AND EFFECT MOTOR SHUTOFF THEREAFTER TO THEREBY PROVIDE FOR INFLATION OF A BALLOON TO PROPER DESIGN SIZE. 